Showing 1-66 of 66 items found in Outdoors & Play

Come visit this working Amish farm and apple orchard. They have a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables for sale, plus fresh honey, apple butter and maple syrup. A Deli filled with 15 different Country-Cured Meats & 24 different Cheeses is also available Monday - Saturday. While you're there, enjoy a hand-dipped ice cream cone. You can also find Fresh Baked Goods every Thursday - Saturday. Open year round.

Located in the heart of Illinois' Amish country, The Great Pumpkin Patch is a working farm that features beautiful gardens, including a spectacular collection of more than 5,000 mums, and offers its heirloom seeds for sale. Known for its more than 300 varieties of rare pumpkins, squash and gourds from around the globe that are grown right on the farm and displayed in its Great Pumpkin Patch from mid-September through October 31 every year. The on-site Homestead Bakery sells made-from-scratch goodies such as pies and angel food cake during spring, summer and fall.

The Outdoor Center Fields are located at First Street, spanning either side of Stadium Drive. Not just for students, but very welcoming to the general public! Reservations for special group outings must be made! Outdoor Center Fields Amenities four lighted football fields two lighted soccer fields three lighted sand volleyball courts three lighted basketball courts six lighted Tennis courts Outdoor Center facility with exterior drinking fountains, restrooms, and a meeting room.

Prairie Farm features traditional farm animals such as sheep, pigs, horses, cows, goats, chickens, ducks and geese. Visitors are welcome to pet the farm’s animals in the petting area. Kids both young and old will enjoy crossing the footbridge that spans the farm’s miniature duck pond. Prairie Farm also offers educational programs and private party services. Open Memorial Day through Labor Day; Hours: Daily 1:00–7:00 p.m.; Free! (fee for trolley ride and some programs)

Honoring the extraordinary achievements of Champaign County residents who have participated in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, this granite platform inscribed with the names of the athletes and the Olympic symbol is surrounded by playing fields, gardens and a community college campus. Tribute to Olympic Athletes rises from an ordinary prairie landscape transformed by playing fields, gardens and a community college campus.

Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery is Illinois’ first farmstead cheese making facility, founded in 2004. Visit this off the beaten path farm and learn about their cheese-making process and their “Animal Welfare Approved” Goat Dairy. Taste their delicious, award winning varieties of goat cheese and sample their amazing goat milk gelato and organic fruits. The farm is open weekdays for drop-in visitors to see the goats, walk the grounds and purchase farm products. During the summer, you can also visit the farm during Wednesday afternoon open houses. In addition to self-guided tours of the farm, you can get gelato by the scoop and purchase products from their farm as well as those from other farms and food artisans. Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery also offers additional food events in the summer with Dinners on the Farm, Third Friday Pop-Ups, and tasting trail events. This is a working farm, so check their website for hours and activities before venturing out to the farm.

18 miles north of Decatur on Route 48 near Argenta. The park feature three nature trails - the quarter-mile Friends Creek Trail, the 2-mile Woodland Trail, and the 2.5-mile Sun Trail. Each varies in difficulty and meanders through topographies ranging from open meadows and floodplains, to towering oak-hickory forests and undulating hillsides.

Weldon Springs State Recreation Area is a 550-acre state park located near Clinton, Illinois. It centers on Salt Creek and the impoundment of a tributary, Weldon Springs, to form Weldon Spring Lake, a reservoir.

Little Galilee's 228 acres of land provide lots of room for kids to eat, sleep, learn, play and pray with dedicated Christian adults. There are a variety of camps and programs that for youth and adults which may include: Fine Arts or Sports camp, Equestrian Camp, Family Camp, Main Camp, Day Camp, Wilderness Camp and many more.

Created in 1927 from an old sand pit across the road from Lake Decatur, the city's oldest garden was extensively renovated in 1992. Its resurrected look features secluded paths leading through rocky terraces planted with unusual trees, and landscapes brimming with colorful perennials. Towering bald Cypress trees, planted in the 1920s, still reign over these delightful grounds.

Rock Springs Center is the largest park in the Macon County Conservation District properties with a total of 1,343 acres in the southwest area of Decatur, IL. The Sangamon River runs through Rock Springs and several small ponds dot the landscape. A wide range of terrain including forest, wetland, grassland, and restored Illinois prairie make Rock Springs a destination for nature lovers. Rock Springs is also home to a large nature center, a museum, a restored farmhouse, nearly nine miles of hiking trails, and a paved bike trail. Rock Springs is a favorite for families all year round. Rooms and pavilions are available for rent for meetings and events.

Ice skating available during fall/winter months. Call ahead for exact dates. Admission to the ice arena is $6 and skate rentals are $2. During the spring/summer months, the arena is used as venue for shows and fairs.

The origins and growth of the Decatur Gun Club parallel that of the clay target itself, and the games created to hone and test shotgun shooting skill. Shotgun sport shooting with live pigeons and later, glass balls existed in the U.S. from the early 1800's. But the first "clay pigeon" and "trap" to throw it were not developed until about 1880 by George Ligowsky. William Brett From Decatur was the second manufacturer of clay targets in the U.S., which he called the "Decatur Red Bird". Considered the oldest shotgun shooting sports club in Illinois, the Decatur Gun Club was founded soon after clay targets were invented. Chan Powers and Bert Hildebrandt were two of the mentors of the club, first located near East William Street Road and 22nd Street. In the early years, the club occupied sites in the Hess Park area, the Wyckles Corner area, the Macon County Fairgrounds, and an area west of the Fairgrounds before finding it's home of the past 61 years at the north end of Faries Park.

The bikeway connects three area parks with a 3.2-mile, 10-foot wide, handicapped accessible trail for enjoyment by hikers and bikers alike. Tote along your favorite fixings to enjoy on the trail or designated picnic areas.

Sand Creek is a 755-acre open space site located just south of Decatur off South Franklin Street. Hike the trails to the bluff overlooking Sand Creek for panoramic view of the countryside. Over 7.5 total miles with varying difficulty. Open to hikers & horseback riders.

Sometimes called the "shot-maker's" course, Scovill Golf Club is hilly and tree-lined. Golfers will enjoy the manicured fairways surrounded by natural plantings on Decatur's only Audubon sanctioned course. Scovill was designed by Tom Bendelow and redesigned by Dick Nugent. Scovill was named on one of the top 100 women-friendly course in the United States by Golf for Women. It is also the course most frequented by out-of-town golfers.

Serenity envelopes this intimate area, where visitors are welcomed by a Chinese Fu dog and flowering dogwoods, star magnolia, Japanese lilac, and rhododendron -- foliage native to the Orient. Originally commissioned by Guy and Rose Scovill in the 1920's and reconstructed in the 1980's, the gardens' soothing nature encompasses a small reflective point, sod bridge, and oriental sculptures, and surrounds a small cottage, which is available for gatherings and retreats.

This zoo overlooking Lake Decatur is home to animals from around the world, the Z.O.&O. Express train, the Endangered Species Carousel and the Zootique Gift Shop. Family events and activities are offered regularly.

Designed by legendary hall of fame player, Raymond Floyd, this signature course features large, undulating greens, wide rolling fairways and native grasses. Located on Decatur's south side, the Park District's newest course is designed for players of all skill levels. From five tee locations and multiple angels, this signature Floyd course is truly designed for the championship to the novice golfer. Red Tail provides multiple tee locations from Championship to Junior, driving range with double tees, golf academy programming, and first tee learning center.

No trip to Scovill Zoo would be complete without a visit to Project Playground II, a community-built, ADA-accessible playground in Scovill Park. This exciting play place includes a rock wall with fossils, hands-on music station, lots of slides, and a smooth rubber surface so kids of all ability levels can swing, slide, climb and play.

Woodlawn Country Club is a semi-private country club that's been providing entertainment for families in East Central Illinois for over seventy years. The club features golf, swimming, and many social events for members and guests.This nine-hole walking course features plenty of trees, and water that comes into play on seven of the nine holes. A snack bar is available.

Sangamon River Forest Preserve, a 160-acre gem, offers a variety of natural features and is ideal for low-impact activities such as picnicking, bird-watching, hiking and river fishing. The preserve hosts the Lincoln Ash Tree, one of the largest ash trees in the state.

Hickory Point is truly a course for both beginning and competitive golfers. The flat, wide fairways are perfect for learning, while long distances and the ever-present wind provide challenge for more experienced golfers. Hickory Point features a lighted driving range and special six-hole short course for beginning and youth golfers.

The newest addition to Forsyth Park is an 18-hole Disc Golf Course. The Forsyth Park Disc Golf Course has been designed to allow anyone from beginning players to experienced players to have a good time. The Course provides players with 5 alternate holes for those players with a more advanced skill level and also includes an alternate tee box for hole 13 for those players unsure of playing around the pond in Forsyth Park.

Lake of the Woods County Park is a 900-acre preserve that features an 18-hole regulation golf course, a 9-hole par 3 course and practice range, fishing, boating, hiking, picnicking, cross-country skiing, sledding the Hi-Tower bell carillon and observation area, a 3.3 mile bicycle/pedestrian path, the Museum of the Grand Prairie, Mabery Gelvin Botanical Gardens, building rentals and various programs.

The 275-acre River Bend Forest Preserve south of Mahomet contains approximately 130 acres of clear water in two lakes, one of which is the largest public lake in Champaign County, and includes 2.5 miles of forest along the Sangamon River.

Allerton Park was the private estate of Robert Henry Allerton, who donated it to the University of Illinois in 1946. It features 1,500 acres of woodlands, formal gardens and more than 100 sculptures. The park is open to the public for hiking, picnicking, cross-country skiing and leisurely garden strolls.

Two-thirds of the area is a dedicated nature preserve containing one of the few remaining stands of old-growth timber in Illinois. Two trails wind through the nature preserve, allowing the hiker to enjoy the unspoiled beauty of the forest.

Our 36 Hole Championship Orange & Blue Golf Courses were built in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The Orange Course was built first in 1950 and followed by the Blue Course in 1966. Both courses are very exciting to play and present many challenges including sand, water, trees, and green undulations.

Iron Horse Golf Club features an 18-hole links style championship golf course with bent grass tees, fairways and greens. Iron Horse provides a challenge to the low handicapper and a fun, playable golf course for the high handicapper.

Located at the north end of Crystal Lake Park, this environmental education facility is a natural resource to individuals, families and groups interested in learning more about the outdoors. The Nature Center features four multi-purpose rooms, an exhibit field station, an Observation Room, the Audubon Nature Shop and an Educator Resource Room. The adjacent Busey Woods is perfect for hiking and bird watching.

The Wandell Sculpture Garden was established in honor of Willett and Celia Wandell in 1998. This unique, free outdoor sculpture garden sits among 22 acres of recreated Illinois tallgrass prairie in 130-acre Meadowbrook Park. While walking the looped paths, one can encounter bikers, joggers and other sculpture lovers as the park serves both recreational and educational purposes. Works from local artists with ties to the University of Illinois grace the garden, as well as pieces from artists who reside in New York, California and New Mexico. The garden has both permanent sculptures and some that are rotated every second or third year, keeping it fresh for visitors. Open daily from dawn to dusk.

The University of Illinois Arboretum is a living laboratory, including plant collections and facilities that support the teaching, research and public service programs of several units throughout campus. Central to the Arboretum was the development of the "All American Selection Trial Gardens" established by a bequest from Miles C. Hartley in the early 90s. Other highlights of the Arboretum include the Welcome Garden, Hosta Garden, Kari Walkway and native ponds plantings, the Idea Garden, sponsored by Champaign County Master Gardeners, and the Japanese Tea and Dry Gardens at the Japan House.

The University of Illinois Pollinitarium is the first free-standing science center in the nation devoted to flowering plants and their pollinators. Its location in the midst of the Arboretum brings together flowers and pollinators physically and conceptually. Changing exhibits relate to world events and ongoing research on pollinators. Guests can explore beekeeping equipment, see live demonstrations and play interactive games. Because so much depends on pollination, the UI Pollinatarium is dedicated to increasing awareness and appreciation of pollination as a remarkable ecological partnership and an essential ecosystem service.

Built in 1999, Stone Creek Golf Club features one of the most enjoyable and challenging 18-hole public championship golf courses in down state Illinois. The beautifully manicured bent grass fairways, soft smooth slopes and subtle elevation changes make Stone Creek a true golfer's experience.